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Xort
Known Information Journal, August 24th, 2019 (Or whatever the in game date of the Nadine attack was) I'm writing this so that, should the worst happen tonight, my story will not be forgotten. I come from a hive of SpiderFae, infamous for the potency of our venom. I call it a hive, but really it was more of a massive enclosed network of intricately spun intersecting webs. The hives primary export was to alchemists and assassins, but once the venom changes hands it was no longer our responsibility who does what with it. That's more or less all I can remembers about my home. See, I was born without the ability to produce my own venom. growing up the other kids all laughed at me and called me names like Featherfang, because my fangs weren't considered a threat to anyone. I know my parents loved me based on their actions, but the way they looked at me, or talked about me when they thought I couldn't hear them, the thought that they resented me was always in the back of my mind. One day, when I was around 8, my mom woke me up and told me to grab whatever I cherished most, and we left. Now, being a child they obviously didn't tell me it was them, but as we were walking away a massive explosion erupted from my hive. We couldn't have been more than a mile away but when I looked back, and looked at my parents, they didn't seem phased. They told me to just keep going and I did as I was told. About 2 years later, we were living in Port Frey, and my parents had opened a bakery in town. I didn't know it at the time, but on the side of the legitimate business, they were selling their venom, both in its natural form, and soaked into baked goods. I never questioned it because I was a kid, living with my parents in a vibrant new place and we were rich; richer than any normal bakery owners should be given how new the business was. Everything was great, my parents even stopped looking at me like I was a disappointment! I was helping with deliveries, keeping customers entertained with my wild stories, everything seemed perfect! Until one day, we had an interesting visitor. Xi'rexelle, a girl from my hive (who I had a major crush on back home) and her parents walked in. The adults went into the back and I was up front with Xi'rexelle, keeping an eye on the shop and drawing pictures. We were so young, "catching up" wasn't really something we thought to do. We just assumed everything was great; at least I ''assumed everything was great. If i had just asked, maybe she would've told me something and I could've prevented what happened next. Turns out, Xi'rexelle and her parents had been opening bakeries of their own all over the Tear, and were looking to expand to Port Frey. You can imagine the shock when they found out they ''weren't ''the only survivors of the hive. Naturally, they didn't want the competition, and while we weren't the only bakery in town, we ''were the only one who had the same "side business" as them. This didn't sit well with them. The adults finished up their meeting, and for like a year and a half, everything seemed normal. Business slowed down a bit but that's to be expected when a rival establishment opens up in town. I spent a lot of time with Xi'rexelle. She came over a lot, I don't recall every going to her house to play though. One day, I came home from making deliveries and went upstairs. See, the bakery was downstairs, and we lived in a sort of apartment upstairs, accessible from stairs in the alley behind the store. Mom and Dad were working and I had homework to do, so I didn't bother telling them I was done with my deliveries cause I needed to finish some schoolwork before they sent me out to make more deliveries; so I figured I would work for 15 minutes or so before letting them know I was back. The biggest regret of my life. After about 10 minutes, Xi'rexelle climbed in through my bedroom window (which faces the back alley), covered in blood, and told me "Get out of town. My parents don't want any of you here anymore but I like you and I cant bring myself to hurt you too. I'm sorry for the way we treated you back at the hive, and I'm sorry for this. I hope one day you can forgive me." I had no idea what she meant. I was scared, so I went to go tell my parents what she said. But when I got downstairs, the shop had been destroyed. The front window was shattered, there was glass and blood everywhere, my dad was laying in the middle of the shop, and his head was a few feet away. My mom was behind the counter, in the doorway between the shop and the kitchen. It looked like she was running from whoever did this. Both of my parents had one fang each ripped off. The authorities were there already, townsfolk had the place surrounded, and everyone who wasn't staring at my parents, or averting their gaze altogether, had their eyes locked on me. I fell to my knees, screaming. What else could I do? When I finally got up, and had no more tears to cry, hours had passed. I asked the guard stationed outside where they took my parents, and he brought me to them to say goodbye one last time. While we were walking to the cemetery, I put the pieces together. Xi'rexelle killed my parents. Her parents must've found out what they did to the hive, and between that and putting up competition for the business in town, weren't willing to let us get away with it any more. They told Xi'rexelle to kill all of us, because who would suspect a little girl. The guard brought me to my parents, and I removed the remaining fangs. I made up some story about how it was tradition for my hive, how the fangs were sacred to us because they blessed us with such wealth for so many generations, due to the demand in our venom; and how gravediggers would desecrate my parents graves if they thought they could get their hands on whatever venom was left inside. But really, I wanted my parents with me when I got revenge. I stayed with various friends from school, or regulars from the shop, and acted like everything was more or less okay. I stayed friends with Xi'rexelle, and because I no longer had a home we played at her house. What she didn't know...what nobody knew; I had kept a massive jar of my parents venom that they had stashed away, and their book of shady clients from venom sales. I continued their business from an abandoned building in Dagger Alley, next to the golden kilt. However instead of selling the venom or baking it into bread, I carried out every job myself. I wasn't worthy to use real venom, otherwise I would be able to make my own. But using my parents fangs as daggers I needed only a drop of it to barely pierce the skin and the job was done. Obviously I became suspect eventually, but every time I was examined it was confirmed that I cant produce my own venom, so I had an alibi. I bet you're wondering, why would anyone rather risk a child getting caught and ratting them out over simply poisoning the targets food? Well, it was because my prices couldn't be beat. I didn't ask for gold, not even a single copper for my services. All I wanted was one meal per job, it didn't even have to be good, just had to keep me going; and a promise to never use either of Xi'rexelle's family businesses again. I wanted to take their business from them by turning their clients on them. Of course, a few tried paying me with poisoned food but, though I cant produce my own venom, I still retain a natural immunity to poisons. After a while, I acquired a taste for the stuff, really adds a kick to the flavor. When I was around 13, I was just about out of my parents venom, and needed to do something about it quickly. It was time to make my move. I was at Xi'rexelle's house doing homework, and had a bag waiting at my spot in dagger alley. We finished up and said goodnight, and she asked me, "Xort, why are you still my friend? Why dont you hate me for what I did to you?" I told her Id been in love with her since we were children at the hive, and that its not like she had a choice. She teared up and hugged me tight, crying in my ear "I'm so sorry, I wish we had never come to Port Frey." I tried to tell her it was okay, but she kissed me before the words left my lips. This was perfect, I had her fooled beyond what I thought possible. I left her house, and passed her bakery on my way home. Poking my head into the back I shouted goodbye and thank you for having me over, loud enough for any potential passersby to hear. But I walked into the kitchen, asking for some water for the road. When their backs were turned, I stabbed them with knives I found on the counter, and before the life left their bodies, I snapped off all their fangs, and told them "Its fine that I cant make my own venom, yours will hold me over for a while." Disguising my voice to be much deeper than my own, I screamed for help, before leaving out the back. I made my way to my spot, grabbed all I could, and left town. I don't remember much of anything from my time on the road. I just remember I made it to Nadine, famous for their knowledge of poisons. I set up a spot under a bridge to sleep, and for the next few years when I wasn't using my remaining venom to continue providing the services I had in Port Frey, I was studying alchemy. Poisons, naturally, because I needed a source for when my stash of venom ran out. Potions to keep from being suspicious. Nobody could figure out who was to blame. They hadn't seen this strain of venom since my hive was presumably wiped out, and again, whenever I was examined It was confirmed that I had no functioning venom sacks. The difference, this time I was charging much more for my services. 5 gold for a large target, such as a warrior, 3 for a smaller target, like an average person. 1 gold and a ''VERY ''good reason for anyone under the age of 20, but nobody under the age of 13, no exceptions. And for anybody who was rotten to their core, 1 copper. If someone was abusive or rude or just scummy beyond words, 1 copper was all their life was worth, and I was happy to clean the streets of filth like that. Only a couple years later, I was able to buy myself a decent house, free of suspicion because the one I bought it from was a client of mine. If I climbed to my roof, I could watch the most beautiful sunrise over the sea, just like the ones I used to watch with my parents, and occasionally Xi'rexelle, from the beach in Port Frey. Every morning, Id get up early just to watch it. And every morning the view, and the memories, filled me with a peace and calm I hadn't known in years. Every morning, I would wake, climb to my roof, watch the sunrise and with the calm it filled me with I went about my day. Until one morning, while watching the sunrise, the world went black. I woke up on a beach, I was back in Port Frey. Status No Pins Allies * Ki * Sigrun * Nudle * Reyna * Kahal * Vito * Evie * Looong * Deon * Az * Khalira * Kaelen Estelmer * Lirulin Aibhlinn Céibhfhionn Enemies * Xi'rexelle Obituaries * Rumors * Quotes * "Poison adds a pleasurable kick to any beverage" * "If you're abusive, or just scum in general, your life is worth no more to me than a single copper" Character Inspirations D'vorah (Mortal Combat)- When I was first designing the makeup for Xort I started with copying D'vorah and changing it a bit at a time Loooong- The whole reason my character is named Xort Soundtrack Please feel free to add as much information as you wish, but understand that information you add to your PCs page is considered public knowledge and may be used In-Character by other PCs.